


Suspicious

by SalazarTipton



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Cosmic Love Exchange, Family Dynamics, Gen, Invasion of Privacy, M/M, Meet the Family, Nosy Siblings, Psychic Bond, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 02:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20283622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/SalazarTipton
Summary: Within the first flash she regrets digging. She sees a series of snapshots like a camera going off every few seconds: Michael burying his face in someone’s neck and breathing them in, hands roving over Michael’s tanned skin, a bright smile meeting another in a kiss, whispers of love against their lips...





	Suspicious

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SaadieStuff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaadieStuff/gifts).

> sadie, i adore your writing, seeing you over on the discord, and all your lovely fandom things on tumblr. think of this as a little thank you for being you and bringing so many amazing things to our little fandom lives. you're stellar!
> 
> thank you kindly to tove for beta'ing this <3

“Max, I need your help,” Isobel says as soon as he takes a seat at her kitchen island. 

He sighs. “You know, you never just ask me to spend time with you anymore.” He’s been hoping this was just going to be a nice little sibling brunch together and kicks himself for thinking she wouldn’t have some ulterior motive. She always has something whether its picking up balloons for an upcoming luncheon or averting some crisis with their identities. If she ever adopts a child with Noah, he’s sure she’ll be top PTA mom within a week of school starting. 

“We spend too much time together. Most people avoid their families,” she says, brushing off the underlying accusation. 

“Wow, Izzy, all you had to do was say so and I’d give you some space,” he says, getting up off of the stool and leaning over to steal a piece of bacon from her plate when she opens the refrigerator. 

“We’re twins. It’s a special case--and now you’re just getting me sidetracked.” Isobel sets down the carton of orange juice with a little too much force and lets out a long breath. “Michael’s being weird.”

Max pours them both a glass and rolls his eyes at her. “And the sky is blue. What’s your point? Michael’s always being weird.”

“Something serious is going on! I can feel it. He’s avoiding me and keeps rushing out whenever I’m talking to him, like he’s afraid I’ll, I don’t know, notice something about him,” she rambles off. “You’ve been so focused on Liz and everything lately, maybe you didn’t notice that he’s being more closed off and shifty than usual. Like, he lost his job out on the Foster Ranch and his home out there. Did you know he used to go out there as a kid to get away from his ‘home’ and wait for someone to come for him? He needs us and we’ve been too busy to give him a second glance. He’s our brother. If something’s going on we need to be there for him. When have I ever been wrong about this kind of thing?”

He takes a bite of the bacon before she swipes it back from him and rests his forehead against the heel of his palms for a moment. “Fine, but he’s not going to tell me anything, especially if it’s something he won’t tell you about. We aren’t that close anymore. Hell, half the time we can’t be in the same room without throwing jabs.”

“He’s not going to outright admit what’s going on. The guy’s got some serious walls up. No, we are going to find out for ourselves...and in the process give him the love and support he needs right now.”

“Huh, I didn’t think I ordered a side of invasion of privacy with my eggs,” he muses without any surprise coloring his words. If Isobel sets her mind to something, she’s going to get her way--there’s never been any road around it. He concedes that it’s best to just go along with her since she’ll get him to help her anyway, unbeknownst to him or not. “Why don’t you just dreamwalk him?”

Isobel finally starts in on her food now that Max is on board. She grabs the bottle of Tabasco from him and drenches her toast. “He’d know in a second that I was there since he’s used to what it feels like.”

Max laughs, “maybe you wouldn’t have this problem if you respected his privacy every now and then.” 

Before Isobel can come up with something to defend her past practices, the back door swings open. Noah jogs in, letting the door fall closed behind himself. “Oh hey, Max. Just forgot my briefing on my desk. Don’t let me interrupt.” 

He brushes a quick kiss over Isobel’s cheek and dashes off down the hall. They both turn their attentions to their plates instead of risking Noah hearing something he shouldn’t. It’s a miracle he’s never raised a single red flag about them with all the shit that’s gone down in his house in their years since he married Isobel. 

When Noah ducks back out, they spend the rest of the morning trying to figure out how they can coax Michael into giving something up without making him think it’s an intervention or something. (The last time they tried that it ended with Max punching Michael for something he said and Isobel separating them before Michael fought back. He and Michael might be a little more than ‘not that close anymore,’ to be honest.) They settle on driving over to the junkyard with a few six packs and two bottles of acetone. He’ll see right through it, but will be far less likely to turn them down. 

Max pulls up to the airstream and turns off the ignition, chewing on his lip. Before he can say anything though, Isobel gives him a look. 

“Shouldn’t we leave him to work in peace instead of getting him possibly fired for drinking before work?” 

Isobel just rolls her eyes at him. “Sanders hasn’t been around here in months. Michael’s been running this place on his own, and as his own boss, I think he can make those decisions for himself.”

He opens his mouth, but none of the words that come to mind fit with what he’s feeling. Michael is running a business? Why didn’t he tell him? Last he knew, Michael was a ranch hand, not climbing any sort of ladders--just busting his ass with physical labor. When was the last time he asked Michael about what he was doing? Was his brother purposefully keeping him in the dark or did it really just never come up?

Isobel waves her hands in front of his face, pulling his focus back to her and the junkyard. “Get out of your head. Whatever you just realized can wait. Now grab the beer,” she says before opening her door with the bakery bag in hand. She turns her attention towards the trailer. “We come in peace,” she calls out, earning her a laugh from Max as she steps up to the door. 

It’s still before noon so they both figured Michael would be sleeping. Since his job hours are shaky at best since he’s no longer up for the sun every day out on the ranch, he’s been catching up on years’ worth of overdue Zs. 

Isobel reaches out in their bond to make sure Michael’s here. She feels the pull towards the airstream, but it doesn’t feel like  _ him _ . She always gets doses of anger and loneliness when she dives into their connection, but right now none of that is within sight. She pulls herself deeper, trying to figure out what the hell is going on with her brother and why he won’t answer her. 

Within the first flash she regrets digging. She sees a series of snapshots like a camera going off every few seconds: Michael burying his face in someone’s neck and breathing them in, hands roving over Michael’s tanned skin, a bright smile meeting another in a kiss, whispers of love against their lips. The images move outward until Isobel finally sees who on Earth is making Michael feel so bright and warm: Captain Alex fucking Manes. 

As their hands start traveling southward, Isobel brings herself back out of the vision and back into herself, leaning against the hood of Max’s jeep. 

“Holy shit,” she whispers to herself. 

“You okay?” Max asks, coming around his side to her. 

Isobel smirks at him. “Oh, I’m just fine and  _ Michael is ever better _ ! He’s in there with Alex Manes!” 

Max blinks at her for a second. “I guess they reconnected after Alex came back, huh?”

“You knew about this?”She pushes herself off the hood and stomps up to the door of the airstream. What’s the point of being a nosy sister if she can’t embarrass her brothers with the information she learns?

“Michael! Your favorite sister would just  _ love  _ to meet that boyfriend you’ve got in there!”

She hears something thump loudly on the floor inside as if she surprised one of them into falling off of Michael tiny bed. Isobel doesn’t bother smothering the laugh that peels out of her. 

“You told her?” she can hear Alex asking. 

“Maria isn’t the only psychic in town,” Michael replies before swinging the door open. “Really Izzy? Have you ever heard of privacy?”

She peers in, around the door and Michael, to flash a grin at the man she knows if laying in his bed. “Bagels?”

Michael thumps his head against the wall with a dramatic sigh before snagging the bag out of her hand. “Let me find some pants.” 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! i'd love to hear what you think down in the comments. come find me on tumblr: bialiencowboy


End file.
